Fun Badger Rides Again

Then onward over the mountain And outward towards the sea They had come to claim the emerald Without it they could not leave (Emerald - Thin Lizzy) A Bike Camping trip to Ireland wasn't actually our first choice; if the weather and circumstances had allowed us, we would have set out across the Alps towards Venice, taking in some of the famous alpine passes in the Dolomites on the way there, and then the Italian Alps via Lake Como on the way back.  A bit ambitious, some might say!  But dreaming big hasn't gone out of fashion amongst my friends....  However, a combination of available time, a house move (Jez wasn't free to travel), weather window, and (in my case) financial commitments meant we cut back to a simpler, more affordable adventure in Ireland.  And specifically, the dramatic Atlantic coastline of the Kerry Peninsula.   Having watched a handful of videos on YouTube, we were smitten by the visual appeal of the area, and there were a couple of pla

It had to happen sometime.  But I'll get to that later.... Scott & I have planned a Bike Camping trip to Ireland, so we need to shake down the gear, and get some practice in.  So the week before we leave for Ireland, we ride into deepest North Devon, heading for a piece of woodland that Scott & Hannah have recently purchased. It has the advantage of dirt tracked access, so we will be able to try the bikes off-road as well, a first for both of us with the GS's. But first, we had to get there.  This was my first time riding with panniers & a dry-bag, so I was quite trepidacious to start with.  I could really feel the extra weight at slow speeds, and cornering was much slower on turn-in.  But after 5 minutes crawling across town, I was starting to get the hang of it. We met up at the local Pizza Hut, and immediately headed out onto the M5.  Once at motorway speeds, it was the wind resistance that took precedence.  Gretchen didn't seem remotely phased by the add

With the Easter weekend just gone by, I have managed to squeeze in a handful of good ride-outs, of moderate distance.  I'm really getting much more comfortable with Gretchen, and I'd like to think she's getting used to me! The weekend just gone allowed me the luxury of two rides.  At this point, I'm avoiding group rides; I've heard too many stories about testosterone taking over, and the very worst of male competitiveness leading to unfortunate incidents.  In fact, the last time I had a proper "off" was back in the early 80's, on a group ride, with about 10 members of my peer group.  Lesson learned.... So this Saturday just gone, I met up with  my mate Scott and his 2018 R1200GS TE.  No envy at all...  We crossed the levels, ran up through Glastonbury, Wells and then headed to Brean via Cheddar.  I don't think either of us were quite prepared for how rammed Brean was.  Bank Holiday weekend, and the Midlands' seem to empty onto the coa